Al-Shabaab terror attack kills 7 in Somali village: Police

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - The Al-Shabaab terrorist group on Friday attacked a Somali village in the Middle Shabelle region, killing at least seven people, police said.

An army colonel is among the people killed in the attack in the village of Hilowle Gaab on the outskirts of the recently liberated town of Runirgod, Abdifatah Mohamed, a police officer in the region, told Anadolu Agency.

Mohamed said the attack began with explosions followed by heavy fighting between terrorists and the military, backed by local clan militias.

“After five explosions, the terrorists attacked the village from three different directions but the army and local militias repulsed the terrorists and inflicted heavy casualties on them,” he said.

The terrorist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack and said it killed 31 soldiers, including five senior commanders, and seized eight military vehicles.

The attack is the second biggest attack by the group since the beginning of the year.

On Wednesday, the terrorist group attacked the town of Mahas in the Hiran province, leaving more than 35 people dead.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with al-Shabaab being one of the main threats.

It has waged a deadly campaign against the Somali government and international forces since at least 2007, claiming thousands of lives.

The UN has warned of growing instability in the country, with periodic reports last year detailing attacks by al-Shabaab and pro-Daesh/ISIS terror groups.

There were at least 1,518 civilian casualties – 651 killed and 867 injured – in terror attacks in Somalia in 2018, followed by 1,459 – 591 killed and 868 injured – in 2019, according to UN estimates.